Romans: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary

By Gareth L Reese

This is a phrase-by-phrase commentary and exposition of the New Testament book of Romans.  This commentary is used as a college textbook, yet is suitable for lay church members.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scripture Exposition Books LLC
• Release date: Sep 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9780998451893

Gareth L Reese

Dr. Gareth L. Reese had a 65-year career as a professor of New Testament at Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly, MO. Whether teaching courses, or preaching, or offering seminars in the U.S. and abroad, he has long been known for his ability to make the Word of God come alive for his listeners and readers.The commentaries in this set capture the thousands of hours Dr. Reese has spent studying, examining, and wrestling with what God has written in the scriptures, as he has sought to understand and harmonize the wondrous way of salvation that God has revealed to us. Dr. Reese's practice has long been to read one new commentary each time he teaches a course, and this extensive and broad and diligent study is clearly evident in his writings. His Acts commentary, originally published in 1966, quickly became the standard course textbook in the Bible colleges associated with the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, and remained so for four decades. His works have been translated into multiple languages.An advocate for the Restoration Movement, Dr. Reese is a conservative evangelical scholar. His writings display a deep and profound respect for the Word of God; for the inspired authors through whom this Word was given; for the Church, the Body of Christ, that continues to be built up as a spiritual house by that Word; and, most of all, for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who is exalted and glorified and honored as we come to Him according to His Word.Dr. Reese is a 1954 graduate of the Cincinnati Bible Seminary (later, Cincinnati Christian University), and holds multiple post graduate degrees.

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COMMENTS ON PAUL'S EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

INTRODUCTION: THE FUNDAMENTAL THEME. 1:1-17

A. The Apostolic Greeting. 1:1-7

Summary: Verses 1 & 7 - Paul, a divinely chosen and accredited apostle, gives Christian greeting to the Roman Christians, themselves also divinely called.

Verses 2-6 - I preach, in harmony with what the Jewish Scriptures teach, Jesus the son of David and the Son of God, whose commission I bear.

1:1 - Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

Paul. It was the practice in the ancient world to begin a letter with three things: signature, address, and greeting. Ancient writing materials were scrolls, and since they had no letterheads, it was only prudent to include these three vital bits of information at the beginning. Following 1st century convention, Paul signs the letter right at the first. Since there were many men named Paul, in the rest of verse one he identifies which Paul is writing this letter. A bond-servant of Christ Jesus ... is the Paul who writes.

A bond-servant of Christ Jesus. The designation bond-servant may be something that is true of all Christians,¹ but we prefer to think that Paul uses the term in its special sense. In the Old Testament, the word servant was a title used to designate the prophets,² and we picture Paul here emphasizing his official dignity as he introduces himself to his readers. If he uses the term in its official sense, notice how quietly Paul steps into the place of the prophets, and how he claims to be a mouthpiece for God in this New Testament age. And also notice how he uses the name of Christ Jesus in a connection hitherto reserved for Jehovah, i.e., servant of Jehovah. Paul recognizes Christ Jesus as his master, in whose behalf he speaks, and on whose behalf he acts.

Called as an apostle. This explains how Paul has come to be a bondservant. He has been called to this position! Remember what happened on the Damascus Road, and what Jesus said to Paul on that memorable occasion: I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness ... (to) the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you.³ Paul was as much an apostle of Christ as were any of the original twelve, who also had been called and sent by Jesus.⁴ The rather emphatic expression "called as an apostle may imply that Paul's apostleship has been disparaged by someone; and lest that someone" get to Rome and do his insidious work there, so that the people doubt his message, Paul drives home the fact that he is a called apostle.

Set apart for the gospel of God. Apostle was a word that meant 'one sent on a mission.' The mission on which a man might be sent differed with his particular commission, so Paul here specifically defines what he has been commissioned to do. Paul had been set apart both by God (Galatians 1:15-16) and by the church at Antioch (Acts 13:2) to preach the gospel. Gospel means 'good news,' and the whole phrase might mean 'the good news of which God is the author,' or 'the good news about God.'⁵ It is good news that a Savior has gone to Calvary, to set a world of sinners free!

1:2 - which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures,

Which He promised beforehand. Here begins a concise summary of the gospel that Paul has been commissioned to preach. It is not usual in a 1st century letter to have so much extra information in addition to signature, destination, and greeting, but since so many of the readers do not know Paul personally, it is necessary for him to carefully define every term he uses. This concise summary of the gospel of God continues through verse 6. The 'good news' was promised for centuries beforehand. That is, before it actually occurred in history, God had been predicting what it would be like. The gospel was not a new invention, never before heard of. Rather, it was promised in the Old Testament. Beginning at Genesis 3:15 in the Garden of Eden, one can then see the promise repeated over and over, but prominent is the promise to Abraham (Galatians 3:8).

Through His prophets. When we read David in Psalms 22-24, 110, 118, Isaiah 53 and 55, and Zechariah 12 and 13, it sometimes seems as if we are reading one of the Gospels. Both Jesus and the apostles often affirmed that their teaching was in complete harmony with what the prophets had predicted.⁶ Their Jewish audiences especially needed this assurance, since the gospel was placed in the stead of the Law of Moses.⁷

In the holy Scriptures. 48 out of the 50 times the word Scriptures appears in the New Testament, the reference is to the Holy Spirit-inspired writings we call the Old Testament. In fact, it may be that the Jews gave the term writings (i.e., Scriptures) only to those special books that were inspired of God.⁸ But non-Jews also had their sacred writings, so Paul indicates he has in mind those writings that are holy (i.e., those writings that have that special holy characteristic about them) - that is where the words of the prophets about the coming good news are to be found. The gospel Paul preached, he wants them to know, is the fulfillment of what God had promised during all the ages before Jesus' coming.

1:3 - concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh,

Concerning His Son.⁹ The subject of the gospel Paul has been commissioned to preach is God's Son. Verses 3 and 4 will emphasize two important facts about this Son: His humanity and His deity.

Who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh. The Old Testament prophets indicated that the coming Messiah was to be a direct lineal descendant of David (Psalm 89:29,36; Jeremiah 23:5). Paul here affirms that such descent was true in the case of Jesus. The Greek word translated born (ginomai) is not the usual word for born (which is gennao). Paul uses the same unusual word at Galatians 4:4, and the phrase there could be rendered "Christ became of a woman." Both passages which use ginomai are in harmony with the idea that Paul had knowledge of the virgin birth.¹⁰ The term expresses a transition from one state or mode of existence to another - from His pre-existent state to His incarnate state. Since only Mary was a fleshly parent of Jesus, it is implied here that Mary (as well as Joseph, as the Gospel of Matthew tells us) was of the lineage of David.¹¹ According to the flesh has already prepared us for the suggestion that there was another side to Jesus besides His perfect humanity.¹²

1:4 - who was declared with power to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Who was declared with power to be the Son of God ... according to the Spirit of holiness. This is the affirmation that there was another side to Jesus, other than His perfect humanity. He was also deity. It should be observed that there is a parallelism in verses 3 and 4 that can be pictured in this manner:

"Concerning His Son,

Who was born [son of man in weakness]

from the seed of David,

according to the flesh,

Who was shown to be the Son of God in power

from the resurrection of the dead,

according to the spirit of holiness."¹³

In order to fulfill that which had been predicted in the Old Testament concerning Him, the Eternal Son must both become the son of man, and be manifested as the Son of God. Perhaps Paul is expressing here an idea similar to one Jesus tried to present to the Jews on the Great Day of Questions. According to Matthew 22:41-46, Jesus asked the religious leaders about their understanding of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. Whose son is He?, Jesus asked. They rightly responded, The son of David, because the prophets had indicated Messiah would be of David's lineage. Then Jesus tried to show them that the Old Testament said more, that Messiah also was to be David's Lord! The only way both predictions about Messiah could be true is if He was God in-carnate. Those who fail to see in Jesus one infinitely more transcendent and greater than David will miss who He really is!

Declared with power has a marginal reading, [declared] in an act of power, and might just as satisfactorily be translated powerfully shown to be the Son of God.¹⁴ The resurrection is what proved Jesus was Who He claimed to be.

By the resurrection from the dead. This expression presents several inherent difficulties. The word translated by is ex, which is not the usual way of writing by means of, and the word dead is plural in the Greek. The NASB margin gives as a result of as an alternative way of translating ex. This would be in harmony with their translating Spirit of holiness as though it were speaking of the Holy Spirit, and would affirm that after Jesus' resurrection the Holy Spirit demonstrated effectively that Jesus indeed was the divine Son of God. Objections to this have been stated on this fashion: It does not appear to be the object of Paul to state the time when the thing was done, but only to declare the fact, and the evidence of the fact. Since after is not the usual and natural meaning of ex, it seems best to understand that it was by the resurrection that Jesus was proven to be the Son of God.¹⁵ When it comes to satisfactorily explaining the plural dead [ones], many different solutions have been proposed. One writer points back to the dead bodies that Jesus raised during His earthly ministry.¹⁶ Some see a reference to the saints who rose from the dead after Jesus' resurrection (Matthew 27:52,53), and who thereupon entered the city of Jerusalem. Perhaps a better suggestion to explain the plural is that the resurrection of Jesus involves or includes the resurrection of others - both their rising to walk in newness of life, and their bodily resurrection at the end of the age.¹⁷

Jesus Christ our Lord. These words seem to be a further identification of the Son about whom Paul is speaking.¹⁸ The Son of God is none other than the One who was born a babe in Bethlehem town, and was named Jesus just as the angel instructed Mary to do (Luke 1:31). That same One was none other than the promised Messiah (Christ).¹⁹ And not only is He the salvation of Jehovah and the Messiah, but He is also the enthroned Lord by the time Paul writes Romans.²⁰ Lord means that Jesus is sitting on the throne of the universe, actively controlling what happens, until God's goals for history are all completely carried out.²¹

1:5 - through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name's sake,

Through whom we have received grace and apostleship. It is the Lord who has bestowed grace and apostleship. Paul's position and task are by this much holy and exalted. If the Son of God, the Savior, the Messiah, the ascended and enthroned Lord bestowed them, then they are of infinite import. We likely speaks of we apostles.²² Grace is a harder word to explain with any certainty. Is Paul saying he received two things, grace and apostleship, or is he saying he received one thing, apostolic grace (or the grace of apostleship)?²³ If we opt for two things, how does grace differ from apostleship? Does grace here refer to his conversion, since men are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8)?²⁴ When the person studying Romans consults the commentaries and translations, he will find both options presented. If we think Paul is telling us that two things were bestowed on him (as the NASB translates it), then he is saying Jesus is the reason men can be saved (grace), and that it was Jesus who called him to be an apostle, just as much as it was Jesus who called the original twelve.

To bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles. Elsewhere, Paul calls himself the apostle to the Gentiles,²⁵ and we would see this phrase in Romans 1:5 as expressing the purpose why the grace and apostleship were bestowed on Paul.

Now we are immediately plunged into one of the problems in this epistle, namely, the nature of faith. Does the expression obedience of faith denote one thing (we might call it an obedient faith), or does it denote two things (we might speak of faith and obedience)?²⁶ It probably is true that any commentator on Romans will write his notes of explanation here so that they agree with what he understands the Bible to say elsewhere with reference to the conditions of salvation. It probably also is true that one's comments here will reflect whether it is the initial salvation of the Gentiles, or their whole Christian life, that is thought to be in Paul's view. If it is their initial salvation, then we would want to speak of an obedient faith. If it is their whole Christian life, then their initial response is followed by a life of obedience.²⁷

For His name's sake. The name stands for the person, so this phrase expresses the idea that the conversion of the Gentiles would bring glory and praise to Jesus.²⁸ The delight we feel when men are converted is so great, we almost forget that there is joy in heaven, both among the angels and in the heart of Jesus.

1:6 - among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

Among whom you also are. The church at Rome was made up, partly at least, of Gentiles. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles (verse 5 told us), and now this truth is applied to the readers. They are Gentiles, so he is perfectly within his commission to address them, teach them, exhort them.

The called by Jesus Christ. In verse 7, we shall study the concept of call in detail. Whether this expression (literally, called ones of Jesus Christ) means called by Jesus or called to belong to Jesus is debated in the commentaries.²⁹ The Roman readers had become obedient to the faith because they had responded to a call.

At this point we have finished the long explanation about Paul's commission to be an apostle (begun in verse 1), and we return to the usual items included in the beginning of a 1st century letter, now taking up the destination and greeting.

1:7 - to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

To all who are beloved of God in Rome. This shows to whom the letter was written. It was not to the whole city's population indiscriminately, but to those who were Christians in the empire's capital city.³⁰ There is no real reason to suggest that beloved is meant to designate Christians of Jewish background, whereas called to be saints designates Christians of Gentile descent. Nor is there any real reason to follow those Calvinistic commentators who speak not only of God now loving the believers, but also of the fact that He loved them from all eternity, and never would stop loving them.³¹ It simply is a term of endearment, as Wycliffe understood when he rendered it darlings of God.

Called as saints. All Christians are saints, not just some who were eminently holy during their lifetimes, and since have been canonized. The word saint is regularly given in the New Testament to Christians living in this world. The connotation in the term is that the Christians are a separated people, set apart to the service of God. The Christians came to be saints because they were called to this holy position, and called (invited) through the gospel, as 2 Thessalonians 2:14 plainly shows.³² In light of the fact that, later in Romans, Paul talks about holiness (sanctification) as something to be progressively developed in the life of each individual believer (Romans 6:12-19, 8:1-17), it is not beyond reason that saint here might also carry the idea of that freedom from blemish, spot, and stain to which God expects the Christian more and more to attain.

Grace to you and peace. Grace to you was the common greeting in 1st century Greek-world letters. Peace to you (shalom) was the common greeting among Hebrew speaking people. Perhaps Paul combines these two greetings in most of his letters because in Christ and in the church there has come to be a unity between Jew and Gentile. But there undoubtedly is also a spiritual significance inherent in these words of greeting. A word study of grace shows that this is a significant word in the Bible, and includes both God's favorable attitude toward the man He had created and the actions God takes to benefit that man.³³ We suppose Paul is here praying that all that God does to help a man live the Christian life will be made available to the readers as he prays for grace to be granted to them. Then when Paul prays that they may enjoy peace, he has in mind, we suppose, both peace with God and peace with man. Further, it is likely that even the word order is significant: a man must have grace before he can have peace.

From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. These two are the providers of the grace and peace that Paul prays his readers will enjoy. The association of both the Father and the Son as Paul does here and elsewhere in his letters is a strong affirmation of the deity of Jesus. God and Jesus are associated as though they were equal sources of the blessings for which Paul prays.³⁴

As we conclude our comments on this paragraph of apostolic greeting, it would be well to summarize some of the theological points that have been introduced. (1) There is a complete set of ideas about the commission and authority of an apostle. (2) There is implied the status in the eyes of God of the Christian community (beloved). (3) Something has been said about the proper relation of the Old and New Testaments (what was but a promise in the Old has come to pass in the gospel). (4) There has been teaching about the person of Christ, which includes His deity. (5) The idea of a distinction between the persons of the Godhead has been introduced. (6) The suggestion that there is a divine plan that ranges over and through history is also in the background, as well as the fact of God's providence which is moving history toward the goal the Godhead had in mind when all this was created.

B. Thanksgiving. 1:8-15

Summary: As he gives thanks to God, Paul expresses his thanks for them again, as has been his habit for some time, and informs them of his long-standing request to God that he himself may be permitted to visit Rome and preach there also, something he has been eager to do.

1:8 - First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.

First. First suggests there will be a 'second, third, etc.,' but what was to follow, Paul apparently never says.³⁵ Perhaps no more is intended than before proceeding to the main part of this letter.

I thank my God. It was the usual custom in 1st century letters to follow the signature, address, and greeting with a word of thanksgiving. Greeks usually thanked the gods and then spoke of the recipient's health and welfare. Following the usual form for letters, Paul includes a thanksgiving in all his letters except Galatians.³⁶ In these thanksgivings he expresses thanks either for something the readers are doing for the cause of Christ, or (as in 1 Corinthians) he thanks God for what He Himself is doing among the readers. "My God" may reflect that Paul's knowledge of God was living and personal, rather than merely abstract and speculative.

Through Jesus Christ. Christians in the 20th and 21st centuries are accustomed to close their prayers with the words In Jesus' name we pray. Perhaps this custom reflects not only what Paul says here, but also what is enjoined in Ephesians 5:20 and Hebrews 13:15. But how is it that thanks may be given to God through Jesus Christ? The mediatorial activity of Jesus, our great High Priest, must be in mind. As it is through Christ that God's grace is conveyed to men (verse 5), so it is through Christ that men's gratitude is conveyed to God. The mediatorship of Christ is exercised both Godward and manward.³⁷

For you all. Students of Paul have noted that his thanksgivings often have intimations of coming themes already included in them. Since there is a hint of dissension between strong and weak brothers in chapters 14 and 15, perhaps the all is significant, suggesting the unity and harmony that Paul would see prevail among all his readers.

Because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. Faith is practically equivalent to saying your Christianity. At Romans 1:5, we have already observed that the faith that is a topic in this letter is something that expresses itself in actions which others can see. The changed lives evident among those who have responded to the gospel at Rome, the continual Christian service that daily characterized their lives, these things were topics of conversation elsewhere throughout the empire.³⁸ Rome was the capital of the world, and her influence extended everywhere. Likewise, Christians living elsewhere in the empire would know about the spread of the gospel to Rome; how the church in Rome thrived (or not) would affect Christianity elsewhere in the empire.³⁹

1:9 - For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you,

For. Whenever a verse begins with for, it either gives a reason for something just said, or it gives a further explanation of something just said. In verse 8, Paul introduced to his readers the fact that they were part of his prayers. Here he explains how much he prays for them and why.

God ... is my witness. God, who hears Paul's prayers and knows their frequency and content, can testify to the truthfulness of the claim Paul has just made. He does pray for them. He does petition God that he may be allowed to visit Rome. Paul is taking a solemn oath, as indeed he does elsewhere in his writings,⁴⁰ and he is not disobeying Jesus' admonition to swear not at all (Matthew 5:33-35), for what Jesus prohibited was frivolous use of God's name to cover up a character defect which results in not being true to one's promises.⁴¹

Whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son. The word translated serve (latreuo) can also be translated worship, and pictures a life devoted to God. After a person has become a Christian, his spirit is alive (Romans 8:10) and is able to give directions to the soul and body, so that the whole man is controlled.⁴² This is how Paul can say that by the direction of his spirit he is able to serve God. In verse 1, Paul spoke of the gospel of God. Now he uses the expression gospel of His Son. If verse 1 meant that God is the author of the gospel, then verse 9 means that the gospel is about His Son. Jesus, the Son, since He was incarnate, is the visible evidence of good news that God has been making.⁴³

As to how unceasingly I make mention of you. Paul's prayer life must have been amazing, and is worthy of a special study. He prayed for his friends and family, and he prayed for people he'd never seen, and for communities where he had never been.

1:10 - always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.

Always in my prayers making request. The NASB is an improvement over the KJV in that it clearly shows that always belongs with the thought of verse 10, rather than the thought of verse 9. There was a request that Paul had been making to God for some time.⁴⁴

If perhaps now at last ... I may succeed in coming to you. Paul had tried to visit Rome before, but had been hindered (verse 13). If perhaps at length on some occasion, is how Meyer rendered the Greek.⁴⁵ "The pote, which can hardly be conveyed in English, marks an indefiniteness which even yet attaches in the writer's mind to the fulfillment of this hope."⁴⁶ Perhaps even yet, if God wills, such a journey can be completed.

By the will of God. James 4:14,15 contain instructions to the Christian to include divine providence when making plans about the future.⁴⁷ When in God's own good time it was right for Paul to go to Rome, then (he was confident) God would so rule and arrange it that the long-awaited journey would become a reality.

1:11 - For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established;

For I long to see you. The word translated long (epipotheō) is elsewhere rendered earnestly desire, greatly desire.⁴⁸

In order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you. What this spiritual gift was, commentators are not agreed. Some suppose Paul uses charisma here to designate what the Roman brethren would receive as a result of Paul's instruction or teaching while in Rome.⁴⁹ Others, noting that spiritual gifts were regularly passed on by the laying on of an apostle's hands (Acts 8:17,18; 2 Timothy 1:6), have affirmed that it was such miraculous gifts Paul wished to impart to the Roman brethren.⁵⁰ Without hesitation this commentator would opt for the second interpretation, were it not for the fact that Paul uses the word spiritual gift in the singular. Still, we might affirm that had he written, in order that I may impart some spiritual gifts (plural) to you, it would have implied that they had no gifts at all, and this was not entirely true (Romans 12:6-8). Still, having weighed the evidence pro and con, this commentator tends to accept the second interpretation as the correct one.

That you may be established. You is plural in the Greek. The impartation of the charisma was to be for the benefit of all.⁵¹ This was one way they would be established, confirmed in the truth. It would result in a wider knowledge of God's New Covenant expectations for them than was possible where there were but few divinely inspired preachers present. Also at this time, few books of the New Testament Scriptures had yet been written,⁵² so the Roman Christians were dependent on apostles or spiritually gifted men for their knowledge of the faith. Thus, we see that Paul's interest for them was spiritual. They could grow in grace and knowledge if they just had the fuller information that spiritual gifts would make available, and this growth would result in stability in their lives.

1:12 - that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.

That is. As Paul speaks about his desire to impart a spiritual gift so that they may be established, he realizes that these words could be interpreted as implying criticism of a deficiency in the church at Rome. He quickly seeks to allay any misunderstanding and prevent any hurt feelings by pointing out that the benefits of his coming visit to Rome would not be one-sided. He and his missionary work would be enriched by his association with the Roman Christians.

That I may be encouraged together with you while among you. When saints spend time together, it can prove to be a time of encouragement. To see other Christians, at work and happy in Christ, proves a stimulus to renewed fervor in serving Christ.

Each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine. Here is one of the places in Scripture where the idea of 'mutual ministry' is set forth. Like the different parts of the body, which receive nourishment from one member and pass it on to the next (cp. Ephesians 4:16), so the different members in a local congregation feed and nourish each other for the benefit of the whole body. Paul also had a practical motivation in mind. He shortly will introduce the fact that he hopes the Roman brethren will provide the financial means for a proposed evangelistic tour of Spain (Romans 15:24). It must be carefully observed also that a common faith was the uniting factor in this anticipated fellowship. It would seem to imply that the modern attempt to use 'fellowship' as a means of producing a 'common faith' is an inversion of the divine order of